"COVID-19 Lockdown Exit Analysis" 13th Jul 2020
News Highlights
Trump finally wears mask in public as Britain considers mandatory mask wearing
Mask-wearing has become a strangely political issue, especially in the U.S., where President Donald Trump, who had so far resisted wearing a mask in public, was finally seen in one when he visited the Walter Reed military hospital. In Britain, the government is considering making mask-wearing mandatory in shops to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Disney World reopens in Florida, despite the steep rise in cases
Disney World opened its gates to the public over the weekend despite Florida registering a record number of Covid-19 positive cases, with Orange County, where the resort is based, reporting over 16,000 cases. Visitors will be required to wear masks and adhere to other safety protocals at the resort in Orlando.
Authorities warn of 'third wave' in Hong Kong with cases rising
Hong Kong, initially lauded for its decisive handling of the pandemic, is now seeing a surge in new coronavirus cases, weeks after loosening restrictions. Health authorities are fearing a 'third wave' and warning of 'exponential growth,' with 42 new cases reported on Thursday, most of them locally transmitted and several linked to elderly care homes.
Cases rise worryingly in Lebanon as country records new daily high
Lebanon, which has mostly been spared the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, registered a new daily high of 166 new infections, with a waste management company quarantining 133 Syrian workers who tested positive for Covid-19. Lebanon has had only 2,000 infections and 36 deaths in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
Lockdown Exit
India reports record surge of 28,637 Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours
Tests for Covid-19 were being carried out today as India's caseload neared 850,000 with a record surge of 28,637 cases reported in the past 24 hours. The Health Ministry also reported another 551 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 22,674. India has overtaken Russia in the number of positive cases but is currently behind the United States and Brazil. India has been reporting more than 20,000 cases every day for nearly two weeks now. The ministry said the recovery rate was continuing to improve at 62%.
Coronavirus update: Democratic Louisiana governor issues mask mandate as state’s death toll rises
Governors across the country are facing increasing pressure to pass statewide mask requirements and mount a more coherent pandemic response as coronavirus cases soar to record levels, daily deaths rise and hospitals in the South and West face a crush of patients. A growing chorus of local officials and health experts have warned that infections could continue to spiral out of control unless governors issue public health measures that apply to everyone. “We’ve been begging for a uniform response from the state,” said Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba (D) of Jackson, Miss., where hospital intensive care unit beds were nearing full capacity.
Brazil surpasses 70,000 coronavirus deaths
Brazil surpassed 70,000 coronavirus deaths on Friday, the health ministry said, though the number of daily fatalities appears to be stabilizing. The ministry said there had been 45,000 new infections and 1,200 deaths over the last 24 hours, taking the totals to 1.8 million cases and 70,400 deaths. Brazil, a country of 212 million, is the second worst-affected country in the world after the United States. The number of deaths has doubled over the last 35 days with Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states the worst hit, respectively reporting 17,400 and 11,200 deaths.
Italy reports 7 coronavirus-related deaths
Italy on Saturday reported seven more fatalities due to the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's death toll to 34,945. According to the latest data by the Health Ministry, the tally of active infections dropped to 13,303. A total of 188 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, carrying the tally of cases to 242,827. Meanwhile, recoveries continued to climb, jumping to 194,579 as 306 more patients left intensive care in the last 24 hours. To this date, over 5.95 million tests have been conducted across the country.
Mexico reports 6,094 new coronavirus cases, 539 more deaths
Mexico’s Health Ministry on Saturday reported 6,094 new confirmed coronavirus infections and 539 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 295,268 cases and 34,730 deaths. The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
Virus brought ‘under control’ in Jordan, king says
Monarch wants to restart pandemic-battered economy of tourism-dependent kingdom, which has recorded 1,179 cases of the virus including 10 deaths
Walt Disney World reopens in Florida amid Covid-19 surge
Walt Disney World Resort has begun to reopen in Florida despite a coronavirus surge across the US state. The site's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opened on Saturday. Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios are expected to follow from 15 July. Visitors will be required to wear masks and adhere to other safety measures across the complex in Orlando. Over a quarter of a million cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Florida, along with 4,197 deaths. Disney first closed the resort in March during the early months of America's outbreak. While infections were largely concentrated in New York and California at first, Florida is among several states recording a rise in cases in recent weeks. In Orange County, where the resort is based, authorities have reported 16,630 cases - some of the highest numbers in Florida.
Australia's Victoria state records another day of high COVID-19 infections
Australia's second most-populous state on Saturday (Jul 11) reported one of its highest daily increases in new coronavirus infections and warned the numbers would get worse before they got better as it began its first weekend under a six-week lockdown. Victoria state recorded 216 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, down from a record 288 cases the previous day but still one of the biggest daily increases of any part of the country since the pandemic arrived.
Lebanon records new coronavirus infection high
Lebanon's number of new coronavirus infections increased for a third consecutive day to a record 86, the government said on Saturday. Lebanon has recorded 2,168 infections and 36 deaths since February. Health Minister Hamad Hassan told Reuters on Friday the spike was partly due to expatriates who came after the airport was reopened on July 1. One infected 12 people at a wedding and another infected 12 at a funeral, he said. A second cluster of infections had appeared among nurses and doctors and a third among refuse collectors, he said.
Russia reports 6,611 new coronavirus infections
Russia on Saturday reported 6,611 new coronavirus cases, taking its nationwide tally of infections to 720,547. The country’s coronavirus crisis response centre said 188 people had died from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 11,205. Russia said 497,446 people have recovered from the virus.
Coronavirus: Brazil reports over 1,000 deaths
Brazil has become the first country in the southern hemisphere to surpass 1,000 deaths with coronavirus. The health ministry confirmed 1,056 deaths and 19,638 cases. The numbers are likely to be much higher as only patients at hospitals are being tested. Most states have imposed quarantine measures but President Jair Bolsonaro has challenged the restrictions, saying they needlessly harm the economy. Officials say the outbreak is not expected to peak for a few weeks yet.
Panama hospitals on verge of collapse as virus cases surge
Hospitals in Panama are on the brink of collapse as coronavirus cases spike in the Central American country worst hit by the pandemic, where doctors are already exhausted. With a population of four million, Panama has gone from 200 cases a day to 1,100 over the last few weeks. "Our daily number of infected patients has been increasing in a sustained way to the point of passing 1,000 cases," David Villalobos, head of the intensive care unit at the Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital in Panama City, told AFP. "There are no hospitals that could sustain such a number," he said.
India virus cases cross 800,000 with record daily jump in infections
The country's caseload currently stands at 820,916. The health ministry also confirmed 519 new virus deaths, taking the toll to 22,123. India had breached the 500,000 mark 14 days ago, the livemint.com report said. Another 19,873 patients recovered from the disease in the same period, taking the total to 515,386. The recovery rate currently stands at 62.7 percent, the country’s health ministry said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country jumped by 100,000 in just three days with more than 20,000 infections reported every day since July 1.
U.S. sees another record-breaking day with more than 63,000 coronavirus cases
A whopping 63,200 coronavirus cases were reported in the United States on Thursday – another all-time, single-day high for new confirmed infections. The previous high was on Tuesday, when 60,000 cases were reported across the country, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Three of the hardest-hit states — California, Texas and Florida — just recorded their highest daily death tolls yet. There's growing evidence the surge is linked to reopenings.
Augusta Mayor mandates executive order for masks
At a COVID-19 press briefing, Mayor Hardie Davis issued an executive order mandating facial masks in Augusta-Richmond County. According to the mayor, the order officially went into effect at 6 p.m. Friday. In the executive order, it states for the protection of the public and members apart of the vulnerable population, facial masks will be required in public places and all government buildings within Augusta-Richmond County. The order does not, however, apply to religious establishments, but the use of facial coverings is highly recommended.
Georgia to reactivate makeshift hospital at Atlanta convention center
Georgia officials are racing to expand hospital capacity to cope with soaring numbers of coronavirus cases, unveiling plans Friday to reopen a makeshift medical facility at the sprawling convention center in Atlanta and other efforts to add more beds. Gov. Brian Kemp's office said the temporary hospital at the Georgia World Congress Center, which opened in April and shuttered a month later, will soon be reactivated to relieve healthcare systems struggling with rising numbers of coronavirus patients.
Exit Strategies
'So much worse than I expected': one worker's time at a virus-hit farm
Karen spent three weeks packing broccoli at AS Green and Co before she quit last month in disgust at the working conditions. “It made me incredibly angry that people could be treated in such a manner,” she told the Guardian, recounting her time at the Herefordshire farm where at least 73 workers have tested positive for coronavirus. “I’ve always known that agricultural work is really hard, but it was just so much worse than I expected,” she said. “I’ve picked apples and planted trees and done lots of hard jobs, but this was the hardest.”
Florida shatters record for new single-day Covid-19 cases from any state
The Florida Department of Health has reported at least 15,299 new Covid-19 cases, the highest number of new cases in a single day by any state since the coronavirus pandemic began. The record-setting number from Saturday was reported by the state Sunday morning. But it's not just the number of new cases that's concerning. The test positivity rate -- which can indicate how rampantly the virus is spreading -- reached 19.6% as of Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Across the country, more than half the states are dealing with increased rates of new cases compared to last week. And more than half the states have paused or rolled back their reopening plans in hopes of getting coronavirus under control.
How California failed at coronavirus testing from the start
The disease investigators arrived at the apartment in street clothes, carrying their gowns, gloves and face shields in Whole Foods bags. They didn’t knock on the door. Instead, they called the resident — a man in his 50s, then California’s first known coronavirus case — by phone. When he answered, he was instructed to move to the farthest corner of the apartment so the team could go inside and suit up. They had come to the apartment building in Orange County to make sure the man was where he promised to be — and that he was isolating there, completely alone.
Bill Gates 'optimistic' about coronavirus battle
"Better diagnostic tools are being developed to identify those infected. Investments are being made in libraries of anti-viral drugs which has been an under-invested branch of science. "Also, we are making great progress on vaccines," he said. "These platforms won't just be useful against this particular virus. They will also help us specifically for HIV. "Of course, there is a big difference between getting a platform and making sure we get the products out to everyone who needs them.".
Hidden victims of lockdown: ‘Mum attacked me and dragged me to the floor. Drinking made her mood swings worse’
It was when lockdown was first announced that 18-year-old Ray began to panic. The south London student had barely been coping with his mother’s drunken tirades, spending as much time out of the home as possible, but lockdown would mean there would be no escape. As the eldest of four siblings, the youngest aged nine, he felt the burden of making sure they would be all right. “At first I tried to manage lockdown by keeping myself busy and redecorating my room,” he said. “We were used to my mother drinking heavily, but as lockdown progressed, she went from shouting and becoming abusive every weekend to every night.
Gove says face masks shouldn’t be mandatory but they’re ‘basic good manners’
Michael Gove has said he doesn’t believe face coverings should be made compulsory in shops, but described wearing one as ‘basic good manners’. Boris Johnson is currently facing increasing pressure to follow Scotland in bringing in the requirement next week. At present, face coverings are only mandatory in hospitals and on public transport in England. But appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show this morning, Gove said he thought the government could trust British public’s ‘common sense’ to wear a mask while in confined indoor spaces, such as shops. The Cabinet minister said: ‘I don’t think [they should be] mandatory no, but I would encourage people to wear a face mask where they are inside, in an environment where they are likely to be mixing with others and where the ventilation may not be good.
Coronavirus: Outdoor pools and lidos struggling to reopen
Operators of outdoor swimming pools have criticised the timing of the government announcement allowing them to reopen. Some have decided not to open, claiming a lack of preparation time has made a shorter summer season "unviable". Many are run by community groups or charities and have mounted fundraising efforts in order to survive. The government said "comprehensive guidance" was available to leisure operators. As part of the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, swimmers can visit outdoor pools from Saturday, while indoor gyms, pools and sports facilities can reopen from 25 July.
Coronavirus outbreak hits Los Angeles Apparel with more than 300 infections, 4 employee deaths
When the coronavirus began rapidly spreading in the spring, Los Angeles Apparel was one of many fashion brands that altered operations to make reusable masks.
The company’s flamboyant founder, Dov Charney, said in March that his 400 employees were trying to keep up with the desperate need for protection and that he hoped to eventually make 100,000 masks a week. But authorities now say a coronavirus outbreak has struck Los Angeles Apparel, with more than 300 infections and four virus-related deaths among the manufacturer’s workers.
'We're scared': Coronavirus hits Syria's war-torn Idlib
Three doctors and nurse are first cases to contract COVID19 amid fears of rapid spread at IDP camps in northwest Syria.
Iran's president calls for ban on weddings, wakes to halt virus spread
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for big gatherings such as weddings and wakes to be banned to stem a rise in coronavirus infections, but insisted the country’s economy had to stay open. Shortly after Rouhani’s televised speech, a police official in Tehran announced the closure of all wedding and mourning venues in the capital until further notice. Iran has been gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April, but has recently reported a sharp rise in the infection rate. The death toll on Saturday rose by 188 over the previous 24 hours to 12,635, while the total number of diagnosed cases reached 255,117, up by 2,397 during the same period, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on state TV. “We must ban ceremonies and gatherings all over the country, whether it be wakes, weddings or parties,” Rouhani said. “Now is not the time for festivals or seminars,” he said, adding that even university entrance exams may have to be suspended.
Coronavirus: No 10 considering mandatory face masks in shops in England
Making face coverings mandatory in shops in England is being considered by the government to slow the spread of coronavirus, senior sources have said. Speaking in a Facebook Q&A video, Boris Johnson hinted at the change saying: "We are looking at ways of making sure that people really do have face coverings in shops."
Face coverings have been compulsory in shops in Scotland since 10 July. Mr Johnson also said "people should be going back to work if they can now." Responding to a question about extending the furlough scheme the prime minister said: "I think everybody has sort of taken the 'stay at home if you can' - I think we should now say, well, 'go back to work if you can'.
Wisconsin reports largest increase of COVID-19 cases
Wisconsin reported its highest number of new COVID-19 cases confirmed through testing in a single day according to new data released Thursday. The Department of Health Services reported 13,158 new test results, of which 754--or 5.7 percent--came back positive, according to the numbers released today. Measuring the percentage of new cases returned in tests each day helps differentiate if increases in cases are due to greater spread or more testing, according to DHS. The seven-day average, another measure reported by DHS, has risen over the last several weeks. Over the past week, an average of 7.3 percent of tests has come back positive each day. The next highest total of new cases reported in a single day was 738 on July 4. DHS also reported two new deaths and 43 new hospitalizations.
Partisan Exits
Tory party split over need for face masks in shops as pressure mounts for clarity
Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to force people to wear face coverings in shops. He has resisted calls so far despite admitting the evidence for such a move was growing. Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said it should be voluntary, while trying to guilt-trip people into wearing them in shops. Sources think a switch in the rules could be announced this week. It comes as the UK’s Covid-19 death toll rose yesterday by 21 to 44,819.
Netanyahu vows relief as Israelis fume over virus-battered economy
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday pledged immediate financial aid to Israelis whose livelihoods have been devastated by the coronavirus, as his government faces mounting anger over its pandemic response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday pledged immediate financial aid to Israelis whose livelihoods have been devastated by the coronavirus, as his government faces mounting anger over its pandemic response.
California to release 8,000 prisoners to slow pandemic
California will release up to 8,000 inmates early from state prisons to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside facilities, state authorities said on Friday. Several California prisons have suffered large coronavirus outbreaks and the state corrections department said inmates could be eligible for release by the end of August. The release marks the biggest move yet by California to “decompress” prison populations and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission by creating more space for social distancing and quarantines. “These actions are taken to provide for the health and safety of the incarcerated population and staff,” California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Ralph Diaz said in a statement.
Trump wears coronavirus mask publicly for first time during visit to Walter Reed military hospital
Before departing for Walter Reed, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn that he would “probably have a mask” while visiting the hospital. Walter Reed requires visitors to wear masks when maintaining a safe social distance isn’t possible. Trump has resisted wearing a mask in the past.
Israeli police brace for rally against corona cash crisis
Organizers of the protests said they expected thousands of Israel’s self-employed to turn out. Student unions said they would also take part in the event at the city’s Rabin Square, to show their concern at the large numbers of young people made jobless by closures
French bus driver dies following attack by passengers who refused to wear masks
A French bus driver declared brain dead after an attack by passengers who refused to wear face masks has died, according to his family. Philippe Monguillot, 59, died in hospital on Friday, his daughter Marie told Agence France-Presse. “We decided to let him go. The doctors were in favour and we were as well,” she said. Monguillot was attacked in the south-western town of Bayonne on Sunday after he asked three passengers to wear masks – in line with coronavirus rules across France – and tried to check another man’s ticket.
Continued Lockdown
20 areas most at risk of a new coronavirus outbreak exposed in leaked document
There are fears the areas in England could face new local lockdowns - with three, Sheffield, Bradford and Kirklees, noted as needing "enhanced support" in the Public Health England chart. A leaked report has detailed 20 areas in England which are believed to be most at risk of a fresh coronavirus outbreak.
The lost families of lockdown
Invisible, ignored and at risk, these are the lockdown children politicians don’t discuss. Now charities and medics are 'gravely concerned' about the toxic impact of the pandemic on an already desperate situation. Jen Williams reports.
Scientific Viewpoint
First cases of coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome identified in children in South Carolina
Two children in South Carolina have been diagnosed with the coronavirus-related pediatric inflammatory syndrome, according to the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control. The children are both under the age of 10, DHEC said in a news release Sunday. One is located in the Midlands region in central South Carolina. The other is in the Pee Dee region in the northeastern part of the state.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, is a potential complication seen in some children and teenagers following Covid-19 infections or exposure to those with Covid-19. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory to doctors across the country in May, warning them to be on the lookout for the syndrome. Symptoms include fever, stomach pain, vomiting, a rash and fatigue, according to the CDC.
Thailand plans November human testing for potential coronavirus vaccine
Thai researchers plan to begin human trials of a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus in November and are preparing 10,000 doses, a senior official said on Sunday, aiming for a vaccine that could be ready for use by late next year. Following favourable results in trials on primates, the next step is to manufacture doses for human trials, said Kiat Ruxrungtham, director of the Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University vaccine development program. “At first we were going to send them in June, but it was not easy to plan everything,” Kiat told a news conference. There are no approved vaccines for the virus that causes COVID-19, but 19 candidates are being trailed in humans globally. China is leading the race, with an experimental vaccine by Sinovac Biotech Ltd
Coronavirus UPDATES: Infectious virus could survive in the air for more than an hour
Professor Wendy Barclay, a virologist from the Govenrment's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has warned that the novel coronavirus could spend more than an hour airborne
India’s Biocon secures approval to use drug on Covid-19 patients
India's Biocon Ltd has received regulatory approval for its drug Itolizumab to be used on coronavirus infected patients suffering from moderate to severe respiratory distress, the biopharmaceutical company said in a statement on Saturday.
Coronavirus: German vaccine study draws thousands of volunteers
Researchers say they are surprised at the number of people who have offered to take part, as they usually struggle to find enough guinea pigs. The study will test the success of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by CureVac.
Bangladeshi coronavirus sufferers shun hospitals
Thousands of beds for coronavirus patients in Bangladesh are lying empty despite the country struggling with a rising caseload as people are too scared to enter hospitals, officials and sufferers say. Some patients have bluntly told health workers they would "rather die at home than die in a hospital", an official for a medical charity told AFP. Bangladesh has registered about 180,000 COVID-19 infections, and around 3,000 new cases are being added each day, while the death toll stood at 2,275 by Friday.
Touting criticized study, White House presses FDA to authorize hydroxychloroquine — again
Trade adviser Peter Navarro leads the effort with support from Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s lawyer, and Laura Ingraham’s show on Fox News
About half of health care workers positive for COVID-19 by serology have no symptoms, study finds
A new study suggests that front-line health care workers are at high risk for COVID-19 and that many health care workers with the virus may not have typical symptoms of a respiratory infection.
Dozens More Cases of Neurological Problems in COVID-19 Reported
SARS-CoV-2 generally attacks the lungs, but researchers are also stressing its effects on the brain in a fraction of patients.
Coronavirus Resurgence
Lebanon records new coronavirus infection high with more than 100 cases
A Lebanese waste management company is quarantining 133 Syrian workers who tested positive for the coronavirus, the company manager said on Sunday, as the country recorded a new daily high for infections. The health ministry said a total of 166 new cases had been confirmed in the last 24 hours. Lebanon has recorded more than 2,000 infections and 36 deaths from the coronavirus since February.
“The number will remain high this week,” Health Minister Hamad Hassan said. “To reassure people, the source is known,” he added in comments to broadcaster LBC.
Most of the new cases were at what he described as “a big cleaning company”, an apparent reference to waste management firm RAMCO, which collects garbage across Lebanon.
Hungary imposes border checks, quarantine to prevent spread of virus
Hungary has imposed new restrictions on cross-border travel as of next Wednesday in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a surge in new cases in several countries, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said on Sunday. Hungary lifted most of its lockdown restrictions in May and opened its borders to travellers from European Union states and neighbouring non-EU members. On Sunday, Gergely Gulyas told an online news conference that new restrictions were needed to keep the coronavirus “outside the borders” in order to avoid the re-introduction of domestic lockdown measures. “These restrictions serve to protect our freedom,” Gulyas said.
Okinawa governor wants tougher action as 61 Marines infected
The governor of Japan’s Okinawa island demanded a top U.S. military commander take tougher prevention measures and more transparency hours after officials were told that more than 60 Marines at two bases have been infected with the coronavirus over the past few days. Okinawan officials on Sunday reported a total of 61 cases — 38 of them at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which is at the center of a relocation dispute, and another 23 at Camp Hansen — since July 7. They said that U.S. military officials told them the two bases have since been put in lockdown. The disclosure of the exact figures came only after Okinawa’s repeated requests to the U.S. military.
Palestinian Authority orders nightly, weekend coronavirus curfew
The Palestinian Authority on Sunday imposed a night-time and weekend curfew on the occupied West Bank for the coming 14 days to try and rein in rising coronavirus numbers. "Travel will be prohibited daily from 8:00 pm (1700 GMT) to 6:00 am in all governorates," as well as from Thursday evening to Sunday morning, Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem told a news conference. In the addition to the general dawn-to-dusk curfew, major cities Ramallah, Hebron, Nablus and Bethlehem, will be under total lockdown until Thursday evening, he said, while travel between districts will be banned for two weeks.
WHO urges aggressive virus measures as flare-ups spark new closures
The World Health Organization has urged countries grappling with coronavirus to step up control measures, saying it is still possible to rein it in, as some nations clamp fresh restrictions on citizens. With case numbers worldwide more than doubling in the past six weeks, Uzbekistan on Friday returned to lockdown and Hong Kong said schools would close from Monday after the city recorded "exponential growth" in locally transmitted infections.
COVID-19 continues to spread in Eurasia
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan report new cases, deaths related to virus
After months of decline, America’s coronavirus death rate begins to rise
Texas, Arizona and South Carolina have all seen their death tolls rise by more than 100 percent in the past four weeks, according to an analysis of state and county health data by The Washington Post. Four more states — Mississippi, Tennessee, California and Louisiana — have seen at least a 10 percent jump in that time span.
“They’re starting to tick up,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “Deaths are a lagging indicator, so we always expected that if they were going to go up, it would take some time.”
Authorities in Hong Kong warn of potential 'exponential growth' in coronavirus cases just weeks after loosening restrictions
Authorities in Hong Kong, a city lauded for its quick and effective response to the coronavirus pandemic, are now warning of potential “exponential growth” in new cases of Covid-19 after a surge in local transmissions. Health officials reported 42 new coronavirus cases Thursday, including 34 locally transmitted infections, as concerns grow over what has been dubbed a “third wave” of the pandemic in the global financial center. Of the locally transmitted cases, most were linked to elderly care homes, some were linked to previous cases and a small number were linked to taxi drivers, according to Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP).
Colombia's healthcare saturates: lawmakers urge emergency basic income as 2nd lockdown looms
Lawmakers urged Colombia’s government to decree an emergency basic income on Thursday as the coronavirus pandemic is saturating hospitals and causing hunger. The National Health Institute reported a record number of 5,336 newly confirmed COVID-19 infections and 187 deaths. According to newspaper El Tiempo, the test results on average take 10 days to return, leaving a high number of suspected cases. Healthcare facilities in the central Santander province allegedly refuse to do testing unless someone has private insurance.
Miami-Dade County mayor defends closing indoor dining after week of push back
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez faced a week of criticism and push back after announcing additional restrictions as the county deals with the latest surge in COVID-19 spikes and the most coronavirus cases in the state. The county’s city mayors, all 25 of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities Mayors Coalition, were vocal and stated publicly Thursday, and in a letter that they disapproved of Gimenez’s issuing of an executive order prohibiting indoor dining at restaurants, and for a few reasons.
New Lockdown
Coronavirus: South Africa bans alcohol sales again to combat Covid-19
South Africa has introduced new restrictions, including another ban on alcohol sales, to help contain the spread of coronavirus. A night-time curfew has been imposed, and the wearing of masks outdoors is now compulsory. President Cyril Ramaphosa said the alcohol ban - South Africa's second this year - would take pressure off the national healthcare system. It comes as total infections exceed a quarter of a million. Deaths resulting from coronavirus have also risen to more than 4,000, and government projections estimate this could rise to 50,000 by the end of the year.
Virus surge sparks SAfrica curfew and Spain local lockdown
South Africa re-imposed a nationwide curfew on Sunday while Spain's Catalonia region forced hundreds of thousands of residents back into lockdown as coronavirus cases accelerated in many parts of the world. Since the start of July nearly 2.5 million new infections have been reported, a record level since the first outbreak of the disease in China last year, according to an AFP tally. In just a month-and-a-half the number of cases worldwide has doubled, according to the count based on official figures. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country faced a "coronavirus storm" that was "far fiercer and more destructive than any we have known before" as he re-imposed a night-time curfew and also a ban on alcohol sales lifted barely six weeks ago
Lockdown on the cards as Kashmir virus cases top 10,000
Cases of the novel coronavirus in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir passed 10,000 on Saturday. According to a government update, 268 more infections were recorded over the past 24 hours, raising the overall count to 10,156. Ten more COVID-19 patients died over the same period, bringing the death toll to 169. Official data showed that infections and fatalities have picked up over the past 10 days, with almost 3,000 cases and 69 deaths recorded since July 1. Amid rising concern among residents, authorities are now considering imposing a lockdown in the Himalayan region.
Coronavirus: Bogotá to re-enter strict lockdown – as it happened
As the numbers of coronavirus deaths and cases continue to mount both in Bogotá and throughout the country, mayor Claudia López has announced stricter rules beginning next week. From Monday, Chapinero along with seven other localities will enter a fortnight of heightened and tightened lockdown. This is in response to the UCI occupancy rate in Bogotá rising as high as 85% this week.